Strategies Targeting Soluble β-Amyloid Oligomers and their Application to Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, and it is still incurable. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for delaying the onset and progression of the disease. Mounting evidence indicates that the neurotoxic effects might be attributed to Soluble β-Amyloid Oligomers (SAβO). The SAβO are believed to be neurotoxic peptides more predominant than Aβ plaques in the early stage, and their key role in AD is self-evident. Unfortunately, identification of SAβO proves to be difficult due to their heterogeneous and transient nature. In spite of many obstacles, multiple techniques have recently been developed to target SAβO effectively. This review focuses on the recent progress in the approaches towards SAβO detection in order to shed some light on the future development of SAβO assays. Methods: Literatures were obtained from the following libraries: Web of Science, PubMed, EPO, SIPO, USPTO. Articles were critically reviewed based on their titles, abstracts, and contents. Results: A total of 85 papers are referenced in the review. Results are divided into three categories based on the types of detection methods: small molecule fluorescence probes, oligomer-specific antibodies and electrochemical biosensors. Finally, the improvements and challenges of these approaches applied in the early diagnosis of AD were discussed. Conclusion: This review article covers three kinds of strategies that could be translated into clinic practice and lead to earlier diagnosis and therapeutic interventions of AD.